Amid Balochistan revolt, deadly water war erupts in Sindh: Is Pakistan losing control of its federation?

2017 file photo of protests clashing with security forces in Islamabad, Pakistan (Image used for representation purpose)

Pakistan’s fragile internal unity took yet another blow on Wednesday as violent protests erupted in Sindh over controversial canal construction projects on the Indus river, leaving at least two dead and several injured. Hospital officials confirmed the fatalities after clashes broke out between police and protestors in Moro city and across the Matiari and Naushera Feroze districts.

The unrest was led by the Sindhi Saba Nationalist Party, which has accused Islamabad of ignoring Sindh’s water rights and trying to divert resources under the guise of development.

This is not an isolated act of unrest; it reflects a deeper, more chronic affliction within Pakistan: the government is increasingly seen by its provinces as extractive and indifferent to regional grievances.

As Sindh erupts, Balochistan remains a powder keg of resistance, with armed insurgency and civil defiance against similar state policies aimed at exploiting local resources without equitable benefits. Pakistan is now witnessing multiple fronts of internal dissent, all fuelled by the same core grievance: the systematic denial of provincial autonomy.

Why Sindh is protesting

Tensions flared across northern Sindh on Tuesday following the police shooting of Zahid Laghari, a prominent activist affiliated with the Sindhi nationalist group Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM). His killing triggered widespread outrage, with protests erupting violently in Naushahro Feroze district, which quickly descended into chaos resembling a battlefield.

Angry demonstrators blocked a key national highway, bringing traffic to a standstill, and torched two oil tankers in a dramatic show of defiance. The situation spiraled further when a furious mob stormed the residence of Sindh Interior Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar. Protesters ransacked the house, vandalising property and setting parts of the home ablaze, including the minister's drawing room. The attack marked a major escalation in the unrest, posing a direct challenge to the provincial government and the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).

The immediate trigger for the violence was the construction of new irrigation canals that many in Sindh believe will reduce their access to already scarce Indus River water. These projects, reportedly pushed through without meaningful consultation with Sindhi stakeholders, are seen as another attempt by the Punjab-dominated federal government to divert resources away from Sindh under the garb of national development.

The Indus River is lifeblood for Sindh, and any attempt to reroute or restrict its flow triggers deep anxieties rooted in decades of marginalization. Protestors, many of whom were from agrarian communities, fear that reduced water flow will cripple farming, displace populations, and further impoverish the province. The National Highway blockade was a symbolic move – an attempt to physically halt what they see as the state’s relentless encroachment.

Sindh’s grievance: A history of exploitation

For decades, people of Sindhi have accused Islamabad of treating the province as a colony – good for votes, resources, and taxation, but denied fair representation or development. Water rights have always been a flashpoint. The Indus Waters Treaty with India, the Kalabagh Dam controversy, and now these new canals have all triggered backlash in Sindh. Despite contributing significantly to Pakistan’s economy – particularly through Karachi – Sindh remains underdeveloped in many rural parts, with poor infrastructure and limited state investment.

The Baloch parallel

In many ways, what’s happening in Sindh mirrors the ongoing unrest in Balochistan, where locals are up in arms against mega-projects like CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor), enforced disappearances, and resource exploitation.

The fact that both these provinces are resisting Islamabad's decisions at the same time is more than coincidence; it’s a sign that Pakistan’s federal structure is under pressure from within.